First manufacturer to win a World Championship in its first year of WRC

Volkswagen has won the manufacturers' title in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) thanks to a
one-two victory at the Rally Spain. Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) claimed the Drivers and Co-
Drivers title at the Rally France and went on to win at the Rally Spain ahead of teammates Jari-Matti
Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN). With only one round left to go this season, Volkswagen has attained a
strong lead in the Manufacturers' Championship.

In their premier season, VW has won all of the titles in the top category: the Drivers and Co Drivers
Championship and the Manufacturers' trophy. No other manufacturer has managed to win a World
Championship in their first year in WRC.

Through poor visibility and a punctured tire for one team, Ogier/Ingrassia put in best times on four of
the six Special Stages on Sunday alone plus two more top-three times. On the final day two, Ogier
experienced a puncture but Ogier/Ingrassia were able to gain 20sec on their direct competitors even
through poor visibility.

While Rally Spain was the only round of the season to cover both asphalt and gravel, the VW Polo R
WRC team pulled through achieving: 13 of the 15 best stage times and 26 of 45 possible top-three times.

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7: "I'm absolutely delighted for the team. Volkswagen more
than deserved to win the World Championship title this year. The Polo R WRC is a real World Champion
car. Even though we had a few technical problems at the end today, it got us over the finishing line again
and we won the very first one-two victory in the WRC with the team. I would've liked to have fought
with Sébastien Ogier for victory in the round right to the bitter end because we had a fair duel without
tactical instructions until just before the finish. I'm still pleased with second place. It gives me
confidence ahead of the forthcoming Rally GB in Wales, which is definitely one of my favorite rallies. I
can hardly wait to tackle it."

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8: "What an incredible rally, and what a fantastic season! Our
team really deserved the World Championship title. I'm incredibly proud to be part of the Volkswagen
team. And of course I'm ecstatic that Julien and I managed to secure the win here in Spain. I promised
beforehand that I would try everything - and it worked. It has to be said that it was extremely difficult
early this morning though. Driving through the dust thrown up by the cars in front was like being in the
thickest of fog - zero visibility. At times, we had to slow down in the middle of full-speed stretches
because we couldn't see anything at all. We made a strong comeback in France and left as World
Champions. Now we've managed to play catch-up big style in Spain - and we're World Champions
again!"

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9: "Volkswagen is World Champion! I'm so pleased for the
team - they've just been great this season. It's just a fantastic bunch of people. I wanted to give them
something back today too and tried to perform as well as possible. I felt comfortable in the Polo R WRC
right from the start this morning and adjusted to gravel really quickly. Starting so far back certainly
wasn't a disadvantage, but all that dust was. But we did a good job during the recce and I had a lot of
confidence in the pace notes. Seeing your own name right at the top of the list of times twice is great, of
course. On the third stage of the day, I slid off the road after a long right-hand bend that went into a
sharp left-hand turn. This afternoon, I wanted to go on the attack again, but I hit something on the
straight. After that, the steering wheel was wonky. Later on, the suspension got damaged too, which is
why we couldn't take part in the last Special Stage. Nevertheless, I'm not dissatisfied with the Rally
Spain."

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director: "Winning all three World Championship titles in one
season is simply unbelievable. Given that this is the first season we have competed in the World Rally
Championship with the Polo R WRC, it is an even greater achievement. Winning the Drivers' and Co-
Drivers' World Championship was an absolute highlight for the whole team. It was a dream come true
for Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia in particular at their home event three weeks ago. But the
Manufacturers' World Championship is even more important for a car maker because it proves that it's
not just the driver who's exceptional - the product is too."